Officially, cricketing connections between Australia and the Indian subcontinent date back to 1947, when the Indian team toured Australia for a five-match test series.
However, exactly 50 years before that an “Indian” batsman had already scored a test century in Australia.
Kumar Ranjitsinhji or K S Ranji was a part of the touring English side in 1897-98. He scored 175 runs in the first match of the series, played in Sydney.
It was the highest total by an English batsman at that time.
Prince Ranji, who would go on to rule the princely state of Nawanagar in India, was considered the most stylish batsman of the time.
He was offered celebrity status by the Australian media and public. There were numerous reports, stories, songs, and interviews published about Ranji in Australian newspapers.
The Indian has the eye of the hawk, and wrists like Toledo steel, and the finest of the batsman’s arts are his – the art of timing the ball.The Armidale Express newspaper, 1897
Ranjitsinhji achieving the honour of Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1897. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Ranji was not the only player from the subcontinent to mesmerise Australians in the late 19th and early 20thcenturies.
It is not widely known by cricket fans today, but there were numerous tours, matches and superstars before 1947. However, none of them was given the official status of an international match.
South of England XI cricket team vs The Australians, the opening fixture of Australia's tour of England in 1899. Back row: VA Titchmarsh (umpire), Bill Brockwell, Charlie Townsend, Gilbert Jessop, Jack Mason, Jack Board, Bobby Abel, WAJ West (umpire). Front row; CB Fry, Bill Lockwood, WG Grace, KS Ranjitsinhji, Tom Hayward.
Have you heard of another Indian prince in the English team who was dropped for challenging the notorious bodyline tactics?
In the third episode of the Colours of Cricket podcast series, we explore these unknown stories from cricketing history between Australia and the Indian subcontinent.
Follow Colours of Cricket in the SBS Radio app or in your favourite podcast app such as or to hear each episode in the eight-part series.
Hosts: Preeti Jabbal and Kulasegaram Sanchayan
Lead Producer: Deeju Sivadas
Producers: Sahil Makkar, Vatsal Patel, Abhas Parajuli
Sound Design: Max Gosford
Program Manager: Manpreet Kaur Singh
Advisor: Patrick Skene
Colours of Cricket is a collaborative project from SBS Radio's South Asian language programs; SBS Bangla, SBS Gujarati, SBS Hindi, SBS Malayalam, SBS Nepali, SBS Punjabi, SBS Sinhala, SBS Tamil, and SBS Urdu.
